JOHOR BARU: The Johor government fully supports the stand taken by the Federal government in dealing with the issue of Malaysians barred from leaving North Korea.

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that the state government hoped that the safety of Malaysians in North Korea would be guaranteed as the diplomatic ties between the two country continues to sour.

“The state government gives its full support to the Federal government in the stand it has taken, especially with regards to what we are going through with North Korea.

“We pray that our people who have been barred from leaving North Korea are safe and protected, and we hope our government will do whatever it takes to guarantee the safety of Malaysians in North Korea,” said Khaled during a stopover in his working visit to the Tebrau parliamentary constituency at the Savanna Hills Resort, Ulu Tiram today.

Earlier today, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi issued a ban on North Korean embassy officers and staff in Malaysia from leaving this country, but the ban did not affect regular North Koreans who are working and residing in Malaysia.

This had followed North Korea’s decision to ban Malaysians in that country from exiting North Korea.